So I have to start off this thread with a brief explanation. I'd started a thread about this map in the wrong place and just now remembered that there's a section specifically for WIPs further down the main page... So! I decided to actually continue by putting it in the right place.

As it stands, this would be my 4th update to the map since I started posting, the previous versions are still attached to the posts in the original thread, back in the General section, if y'all would like to check them out before the thread is rightfully deleted. /facepalm.

Anyhoo...

In a condensed version of what I'd originally posted, some of you might recall I was working on large world map for a game project I'm involved with. I was having trouble with coming up with a look/style I like as well as getting a sense of scale and proportion. Well nothing's changed... it's still giving me trouble lol. I think my problem is that when I get over a certain size, scale and proportion become somewhat abstract to me and I'm not sure if I'm making things too large, too small, etc. Something I need to work on. I'm settled on the look I want now, which is something else that was giving me trouble before; so now it's all about execution.

So, instead of becoming despondent and wallowing my life away in pity over my large-scale cartographic ineptitude, I decided I would instead work on some smaller scale stuff, specifically area maps for the zones that will eventually make up the larger map.

I decided to go with a more "iconic" approach with some detail but not as much as I might have otherwise tried to use. The reason being

A) I want to keep the map as clean as possible, with solid clear lines
B) The map will become a basis for a heightmap which will be used to bring the area(s) into a real-time 3D setting
C) I'm not that skilled with GIMP yet and don't want to overwhelm myself.

In order to maintain a clean look, I'll be adding labels and names to the map in Inkscape. I'm not a fan of GIMP's text tool.

The map is of a temperate coastal woodland region of about 2.5 sq. miles, give or take and includes a number of different features which will become points-of-interest, focal-points for the game's setting, etc. This zone will be one of the starting areas for one of the game's races.

All that's left for this now is to get some icons of trees drawn to spread around to make it look "foresty" and to get everything labeled. There's also some icons for ruins that need to be drawn, as well as a few miscellaneous items to indicate certain points-of-interest.

All told I've put about... 10 hours into this, spread out across the past week. It started with a hand-drawn map which I scanned in and 'digitized' to what you see here.

Feedback, comments, suggestions or questions about the map are welcome and appreciated!

Thanks!
39585

Preypacer

11-01-2011, 08:44 PM

So here's an update to my map so far. The biggest change to be seen is the addition of trees.

My goal here is to create the impression of a forest that changes in terms of the density/sparsity of trees, as well as the overall size of them. Obviously, these trees are not "to scale" but are more intended to give an overall representation of what type of forest you'll find in those spots.... without totally cluttering up the map. Hopefully the setup gives that impression and I've mostly achieved the result I'm after.

Any feedback on this is appreciated.

I still have to get the trees made for the swamp region, which will look darker and more "swamp-like", while still maintaining a more "iconic" look.

Beyond that, there's still more to do in terms of creating icons to represent ruins, work on the town itself (off on the East side of the map) and other points of interest that will require unique icons.

I'm also seriously considering going back and making the small cliffs look more realistic. As the basic map I was originally intending to make, plain lines and shadows would have sufficed. However, with the detail I'm adding now, they're starting to look very out of place.

Thanks!

39616

Preypacer

11-01-2011, 11:55 PM

Starting to feel like I'm having a conversation with myself here... lol...

Well, they say people who talk to themselves tend to be highly intelligent, while those who actually respond to themselves are insane. Hmmm...

Anyway...

I was looking at my last update again and I dunno... sometimes I like the trees, sometimes I don't. I like the idea of having trees scattered about to resemble a forest.. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the trees themselves. Something about it just isn't sitting right with me. Not sure if it's the colors, the design... maybe not enough variety in their shape, being only scaled and slightly rotated?

I think I might do some research around here, or perhaps on Google to see if I can find a style that would better suit it. In the meantime, I think I'm going to work on making the cliffs look better, this way I'm at least doing something while I work out my tree conundrum.

Maybe some folks here can help me out with this? Perhaps I'm chasing the wrong rabbit to begin with in terms of the style I'm going for with the trees? I think the insight of a more objective and experienced eye could be really good for me on that aspect of it.

eViLe_eAgLe

11-02-2011, 12:08 AM

Alot of people stalk these forums, so no your not talking to yourself! I was actually stalking this thread without saying anything also! Nice work so far!

Preypacer

11-02-2011, 12:20 AM

Alot of people stalk these forums, so no your not talking to yourself! I was actually stalking this thread without saying anything also! Nice work so far!

lol it's cool. I know there are people who check out the threads. I figure if/when someone has a thought or some advice/criticism/tips/etc. they'd like to offer, they'll post. Otherwise I'll just continue posting updates as I feel they're warranted.

For the next one I hope to have some of the cliffs redone to look more like cliffs in a forest, and less like lines on a map. I'm also considering how to alter the look of the roads/trails to make them blend in better, while still being visible.

All of this I'm doing while learning GIMP as well.. So, that makes it even more interesting. I'm finding it's a great way to learn the program, though.

This is turning into more of a project than I'd originally intended it to. But it's fine. I'm sure this will all help me down the road, perhaps even with my huge continent map that I've been struggling with.

Thanks for responding though :).

offtoruin

11-02-2011, 04:16 AM

I think the map is really good, the river is awesome looking. Look forward to seeing more updates on your work.

Freodin

11-02-2011, 10:14 AM

I like the style of your cliffs as they are now, but let's see how your alternatives look like. I also like the trees... they are exactly the iconic style I would expect to see in such a map. The thing that really puts me off is the "black" areas. I can understand them in game terms... but in the map, they are a huge distraction for me. Alas, I cannot offer any idea how to alleviate that.

The roads definitly need a rework in my view. With the shading you use now, they look as if they are floating above the ground.

And last but not least.... the river is indeed awesome looking!

Erior

11-02-2011, 10:55 AM

I join the compliments so far for the way the river is drawn. Really well done.
If I may add my 2 cents I have some problems with the "third dimension" (read: elevation) of the map. The cliffs and the river are in my opinion not interacting correctly. At each cliff passed by the river, a nearby "gap" in the cliff is present. This (should) mean that an easier way for the water to go is available (the cliff will be less steep compared to the nearby ground where a cliff between the two levels is not formed) and my eyes are seeing the actual path as a little strange due to this.

Anyway, very nice map!

Preypacer

11-02-2011, 12:03 PM

I like the style of your cliffs as they are now, but let's see how your alternatives look like. I also like the trees... they are exactly the iconic style I would expect to see in such a map. The thing that really puts me off is the "black" areas. I can understand them in game terms... but in the map, they are a huge distraction for me. Alas, I cannot offer any idea how to alleviate that.

The roads definitly need a rework in my view. With the shading you use now, they look as if they are floating above the ground.

And last but not least.... the river is indeed awesome looking!

Thanks!

I'm glad to hear some positive feedback on the trees. I still think I'm going to draw up one or two more variations representing different types of trees just to mix it up a bit more.

As for the cliffs, yeah I've already started "sketching out" rough ideas to see which way looks like it has the most potential; softer edges, harder edges, different shading, etc.

For the dark areas.. I intend to address that as well. It's mostly serving right now as a "template" for me to fill in, and having those dark areas helps me keep my focus in the areas folks will actually be exploring, etc. I have a few ideas on how to dress that up so it blends better with the map later on.

The dark areas and plain lines will also serve the purpose of giving me a solid template to work against when painting out the rough heightmap later when I'm ready to bring it into 3D.

I definitely agree it's too dark right now for a "finished" product.

I join the compliments so far for the way the river is drawn. Really well done.
If I may add my 2 cents I have some problems with the "third dimension" (read: elevation) of the map. The cliffs and the river are in my opinion not interacting correctly. At each cliff passed by the river, a nearby "gap" in the cliff is present. This (should) mean that an easier way for the water to go is available (the cliff will be less steep compared to the nearby ground where a cliff between the two levels is not formed) and my eyes are seeing the actual path as a little strange due to this.

Anyway, very nice map!

Good point!

I know the exact spots you're referring to, and I've thought about that myself... "Why wouldn't the water just flow down that slope?". I've lost perspective a few times and had to remind myself "they're broad strokes" also lol.

There will be much more detail "locally" in the actual map and those areas will be much more logical. Also, I'll be addressing those specific spots when re-drawing the cliffs just so it makes more sense when looking at the map.

Overall though, everything in the map (except for its overall shape and layout) is intended to be very generalized, describing an overall area rather than specific spots. Nothing is to actual scale. It's intended more to be iconic.. "a river will run through this area following this overall path, the trees are larger and more sparse in this area, or smaller and more dense in this area... the town is located in this area, etc".

Hopefully that explains the setup, etc...

Thanks again!

Preypacer

11-03-2011, 11:25 AM

So, just a quick update.

I was working on the map some more last night, making the small cliff areas look more cliff-like and was pretty happy with how they were coming out.

Then I hit a bit of a wall, literally and figuratively.

When I got to where the cliffs would meet with one of the solid areas (dark brown on the map), I realized that there was a clash of perspective and style that was beginning to pervade the map overall.

Some parts of it are done from a straight-down PoV, while others are from a more 3D/Perspective type of view. Up 'til last night everything I was doing was as much a learning process as a creative one. And I guess I got so caught up in how I was doing things that I lost sight of what I was doing, in terms of style, etc. A forest for the trees type of situation.

So! I've rewound a few steps and am starting from the basic outlines again. This time, however, I'm going to go with a more consistent look.. all the cliffs (the boundaries as well as the elevation changes) will be drawn in a more "3D style", etc. I'm also going to keep some color in it, but not nearly as drastic. I'd like to go with a more "parchment-y" look overall.

I've looked at a few more maps on this site and see things that people have done that I love the idea of... so I'm going to find ways to incorporate those ideas into my own.

I'll still have the basic outlines to use as the basis for my heightmap when I get to that point... but the map itself will look much more consistent and much better overall, I think.

So.. the next time you see an update, it'll be quite different-looking than the last one.

Lukc

11-03-2011, 12:06 PM

Go for it! :) Waiting to see what gets born!

Preypacer

11-06-2011, 01:53 AM

So, quick update...

Since my last post I haven't had as much time to work on the map as I'd intended (stupid real life always interrupting).. However, I have had the chance to go back to the "basics" and get the map cleaned out so I can start off on the right foot.

I've decided to keep it with the same theme I established with the world map I posted here some time back, which is the more light, "parchment-y" look.

I spent the last few hours clearing out layers, recreating layers, redrawing layers, erasing, masking, etc. etc. etc. to get it to this point. Amazing how many little artifacts and errors snuck in when I was working on it the first time. Even now, at 1:50 AM I can see a few things I missed. My OCD side is telling me to fix them quick. My reasonable side is telling me to finish up this post and get to bed.

I'm gonna go with my reasonable side, I think.

Tomorrow I'll tackle the cliffs and the ledges, drawing them in a more 3D style, keeping them simple but detailed. I'll probably get the water back in there, too.

I don't want to get too detailed as, again, many, many maps are going to be needed and I really don't want to get bogged down with each map becoming a huge project in itself.

Anyhoo.. here goes!

39703

As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Lukc

11-06-2011, 03:27 AM

I always get bogged down, so here's crossing my fingers you don't :). Anyway, can't wait to see what you come up with now ...

Preypacer

11-06-2011, 12:46 PM

Here's the latest update.

I've got water in, have cleaned up the lines more and added the "dashed line" effect around the borders of the map.

It's starting to come together now.

Next up is to get the cliffs inside the map filled in, making 'em look a bit more 3D. Then on to the trees and landmarks/points of interest.

I'm probably gonna start drawing the "iconic" version of the town, which is currently missing from the map, as well as the roads, which I'm still trying to work out a good style/look for (hard lines, soft lines, solid, dashed, etc).

Really starting to get used to how GIMP "thinks", so it's getting faster/easier to make changes, and working out how to accomplish different tricks and such I use all the time in PS in this program, which is certainly handy.

Anyhoo... here ya go..

Question.. Do y'all think the outlines for the main area are too dark, especially now with the shading there?

39706

Preypacer

11-06-2011, 06:06 PM

Okay one more update for today...

Re-did the borders for the map overall, made them thinner and more consistent. I couldn't help but feel they were too thick and inconsistent before; it felt "off" to me. So I fixed that.

Completely re-did the cliff layout, and got them pretty much "finished". I tried a few different approaches of detailing by hand, but couldn't get anything I was happy with. I also realized that trying to add that much detail by hand was going to take far longer than it warranted across many maps. Maybe I'll take that kind of detail on the world map, since that's a single map and warrants more detail overall. I ultimately went with an "omni-directional" shadow approach, basically, which way the shadows fall indicates the lower elevation, regardless of which way it's facing. I think it works nicely; clean and clear.

While setting up the new cliff layout, it occurred to me that there was some room to put a fun little area in the middle, which is going to become a sort of two-level grove, the higher area being at "ground level" and connected by fallen logs, etc. to create a sort of mini-maze. The lower level could have resulted from some kind of shifting of the land around it and will have tree roots mixed in, etc. making it rather claustrophobic and maze-like for the player. Should be a nice place for some nasties to lurk. The road coming from town will pass to the North, steering well clear of it.

I've also started put in some basic color-coding for the points of interest (including the maze-like area above). My overall goal is to have each zone in the game contain several different key locations/points-of-interest, so that as players are exploring or progressing through, there's always something new and interesting to see and it doesn't get boring or repetitive.

I'm actually naming and jotting down notes and details for each of these locations as I add them. Some were thought up already and are just waiting to be placed/labeled in the map itself.

Anyway! Here's the latest and greatest update...

Thanks!
39720

Preypacer

11-07-2011, 12:54 AM

Is it considered spamming to post multiple updates in my own thread even though nobody's replied to previous ones? I hope not >.>

Anyway... I decided to post one more update... Mostly to say "It's square!"

It was irking me that the map size was out of whack and the actual map area was off-center, etc. Much better now :). I also added some more details back in, tweaked some colors, etc.

Tomorrow I start, for real, on the trees, etc.

I do have a question for those who'd be interested in answering. Do y'all think the coloration of some of the areas looks good? I don't mean the water, I mean the smaller areas I have shaded in, within the map itself? Or should I keep it all the same parchment color and perhaps use different icons to indicate what those areas are instead? Opinions?

Thanks!

39742

Lukc

11-07-2011, 04:12 AM

My comment got eaten!

Anyway, I really like how you've done the shadows on the canyon and the cliffs, are you going to add that for the highest elevation as well? I would also lightly shade the river banks and the edges of the flood plain.

It looks good, but I can't tell what a few things are, namely the dark brown patch in the far east, where the timber woolfs play poker and pool ...

Preypacer

11-07-2011, 07:19 AM

My comment got eaten!

Anyway, I really like how you've done the shadows on the canyon and the cliffs, are you going to add that for the highest elevation as well? I would also lightly shade the river banks and the edges of the flood plain.

It looks good, but I can't tell what a few things are, namely the dark brown patch in the far east, where the timber woolfs play poker and pool ...

This website eats comments? That's a tad frightening.

For higher elevations, I'm guessing you mean the outside walls.. I'm still debating on what to do with those. I'm thinking of putting a slight shadow in there just to help separate them a bit, although if I do too much then it starts to go back to the issue I had with it before where it's "overpowering". It's one of those things I'll just keep revisiting 'til I'm completely happy with it.

For the rivers and water.. Same thing there... There actually is a border there, but again.. still playing with that 'til I get it "just right". Too dark and it stands out too much, too little and it disappears.. So, something else I'm revisiting as I go.

As for not being able to tell what a few things are.. That should all be cleared up once I start adding in icons and labels. As for the grey/brown thingy on the right side of the map, that's a placeholder bit for what will be a town, which still has to be done. I want to get the overall style "nailed down" with this map before moving on to the rest.

I guess this map is a bit out of place on this site, as - for a large part anyway - many of the maps seem to be done with a high degree of detail and/or seem to be specifically world, dungeon or city maps. This one falls kinda in-between. Perhaps that's why relatively few people have even commented on it, which kinda surprises me given the amount of activity I've usually seen around here in the past. Folks must be busy.

For my larger world map I intend to go more detailed (though in the same style), as that will be a single stand-alone map, will be a lot larger and will have a lot more variety in terms of environments, climates, etc. to illustrate. I think for that one, it'll be warranted to go more detailed.

However, for these individual zone/area maps, the goal is to keep them more to the simple and iconic side, which is partially why I decided to go with the shadowing for the cliffs instead of detailed cliffs. It would add a lot of detail to it and would look great, but it would also create a bit more "clutter" on what's supposed to be an otherwise more "clean" map, especially as I start adding labels, icons for trees, points-of-interest, ruins, etc. etc. It would also take a lot more time. I'm only drawing this one map for now, but in time, there's going to be upwards of at least 30-40 maps, maybe more, in total that have to be created. This one's already taken me over a week of overall time (not in one shot, of course). Could you imagine spending the total of ~30 weeks just on drawing maps? I'd rather not lol.

And of course, for the sake of consistency, whatever I establish style-wise on this map has to be carried on into later maps as well. So, I have to keep all that in mind when deciding on how detailed to get. That's why I'm nailing down a style now that will look nice and provide adequate detail/information, but also remain more on the "simple" side and be easy to recreate.

I know that's a rather long-winded explanation (I'm good at those, if you haven't noticed :-P), but hopefully that clears it up.

Freodin

11-07-2011, 09:46 AM

I guess the process will get speeded up when you have settled for one style... and whatever you will ultimately chose, I'd say it will look quite fine. The new colour schema is well chosen - quite clear and pleasing to the eye.
Especially the new version of the "outsides" looks very well. The lighter colour makes them almost disappear, instead of blotting out all the rest as in the dark coloured version. Though I would like to see you go back to the shading you used in post #14. Shading the inside instead of the bordes strengthens that "fading" effect in my opinion, while the current version looks a little nervous.

Preypacer

11-07-2011, 11:20 AM

I guess the process will get speeded up when you have settled for one style... and whatever you will ultimately chose, I'd say it will look quite fine. The new colour schema is well chosen - quite clear and pleasing to the eye.
Especially the new version of the "outsides" looks very well. The lighter colour makes them almost disappear, instead of blotting out all the rest as in the dark coloured version. Though I would like to see you go back to the shading you used in post #14. Shading the inside instead of the bordes strengthens that "fading" effect in my opinion, while the current version looks a little nervous.

Thanks for the remarks!

Yeah, I agree that the process will definitely speed up as I go, especially considering this whole deal has largely been me establishing a look/style that I like, as well as learning how to get GIMP to produce those results. Once I have that established, it'll just be a matter of applying that style to each map going forward. I expect I should have future ones done in a lot less time, except for the more detailed ones, of course.

Funny enough, I could have done all this way faster in PS since my brain is almost on autopilot in that program after using it for so long. But, I'm glad I'm doing it in GIMP instead and learning as I go; I've wanted to break my "dependence" on PS, and move completely toward GIMP for a while, and this project is helping that along quite nicely.

Anyway! Regarding the map...

When you say shading the inside, do you mean the dark/thicker borders around the map? I don't actually have any shadowing/shading around the borders in #14. It's just a thick, dark brown line which I actually didn't like.. It kept jumping out at me, overpowering everything else. That's why I went back and re-drew the whole thing in a thinner, cleaner line.

However, since I posted that last update and the last response to Lukc, I've gone back and worked on the outer borders a bit more, adding some subtle, but noticeable, shadowing to the inside. It has the effect of helping to separate those areas from the interior/explorable areas of the map, as well as sort of "lifting it" off the background, which helps to illustrate the idea that these are higher areas. I'll have to post an update when I get home later tonight. I also added more detail to the shorelines to help them stand out a bit more as water, while still being subtle.

I'm really treading carefully on adding such things, though. I don't want the background elements to get too busy or they start to detract from the overall "cleanliness" of it and will be fighting for attention with the icons and labels, etc when I start to add them. I was already dealing with that in the last version of it (the much darker one).

I'm glad you like the colors.. I've adjusted the saturation and opacity on those quite a bit to get them to where they're noticeable, but again, not "glaring" or distracting. I think the current setting works.

Anyway! I'll get a new update posted tonight, probably... I'll probably try and get some more details in there first, though, just so there's more to see updated than just some shadowing and water details.

Freodin

11-07-2011, 12:21 PM

Funny enough, I could have done all this way faster in PS since my brain is almost on autopilot in that program after using it for so long. But, I'm glad I'm doing it in GIMP instead and learning as I go; I've wanted to break my "dependence" on PS, and move completely toward GIMP for a while, and this project is helping that along quite nicely.

You use GIMP when you could use PS? Hm... I would love to use PS, with all the options it offers... but the cost is unacceptable for me.

When you say shading the inside, do you mean the dark/thicker borders around the map? I don't actually have any shadowing/shading around the borders in #14. It's just a thick, dark brown line which I actually didn't like.. It kept jumping out at me, overpowering everything else. That's why I went back and re-drew the whole thing in a thinner, cleaner line.

I was referring to the little wavy horizontal lines. You switched from an area shading to a border-only version... and I personally like the earlier version more.

Preypacer

11-07-2011, 01:12 PM

You use GIMP when you could use PS? Hm... I would love to use PS, with all the options it offers... but the cost is unacceptable for me.

I was referring to the little wavy horizontal lines. You switched from an area shading to a border-only version... and I personally like the earlier version more.

Ah okay I see what you mean.

Hmm... You know I hadn't considered doing it that way again since I went back and re-drew all the outlines, etc. I could try that quick when I get home tonight and do an A-B on it. I do like the version in #14 as well... I think it's really just the thick dark outline that's messing with me on that version. So perhaps with the shading in #14 reintroduced with the thinner borderlines like I have in post 16, it'll look nicer.

A number of ways I could go with that.

As for Photoshop.. Well I have an earlier version, CS2, which is fine. But I find that it's cost-prohibitive for me to keep up with each new version of PS, even skipping versions, etc. There are simply much better things I can spend $800 on... or however much PS is these days. Hell, I could contract a good concept artist to do some drawings for me with that, I could purchase some sound effects, I could purchase software that I *do* need to buy (like a game engine license, etc).

I've also become a fan of Open Source over the past few years and the ability to do what I need to using entirely Free software (Inkscape instead of Corel or AI, GIMP instead of PS, Blender or Wings3D instead of 3DSMAX or Maya, etc). Having seen what's possible with any one of those programs, I see absolutely no reason not to use them.... especially for my purposes.

To date, anything that I could normally do with Photoshop has been do-able with GIMP. In fact, GIMP has actually exceeded PS in a number of ways, especially with its plug-in architecture and in how it's much more intuitive with some of the more "basic" functions. Now, if someone could get a stable release of GIMP 2.7 for Windows that has solid Graphics Tablet support, it would be even better.

Preypacer

11-08-2011, 11:38 PM

Okay quick update time...

Haven't done as much in the last couple days in terms of actual progress, as I've been doing a lot of experimenting and trial and error, specifically with different text/font styles and such for the map. Haven't found anything I like yet.

I did get the shading around the borders re-done, this time using both the sorta "jagged line" effect as well as a slight shadow around the interior. I think it helps to wrap the area up nicely.

Another obvious addition is some trees scattered about. I just finished this about 10 minutes ago, and did a number of "passes" before finding an overall density/distribution I'm happy with; keeping with the more "iconic" look I'm going for. I still need to add trees to the bog area (the dull purplish area in the S/SW portion). Those are going to look a bit different given the different environment they're in; a bit more "ragged". Still need to draw those. I think I'm also going to put in a handful of tree "clusters" here and there, just to mix it up a bit. The trees are by no means final, but they're on the right path...

I also threw in a dinky little makeshift compass thingy in the upper-right corner. Was a sort of "side activity' while thinking through how to approach some other aspect of the map that I don't recall at the moment... Oh! Also added a sort of "stained" effect around the outside of the map just to help the whole "antique feel" of it; just a subtle touch. And roads!

Still to do is to create a logo, a legend and a title for the map (all that empty space is left at the top of the map for a reason :-p)

And that's about it for now.

Would like some feedback/thoughts on the trees, their placement, etc. And of course, about anything else about the map that might come to mind.

Thanks!

39792

Korba

11-09-2011, 05:19 AM

I have enjoyed reading this thread and seeing how you have progressed. I like the colour and style of the map a lot. My one comment would be that the trees look quite regular to me and follow a grid pattern. Fine if they are a plantation but perhaps making them more random might look better.

Look forward to seeing what comes next.

Korba

Preypacer

11-09-2011, 06:43 AM

I have enjoyed reading this thread and seeing how you have progressed. I like the colour and style of the map a lot. My one comment would be that the trees look quite regular to me and follow a grid pattern. Fine if they are a plantation but perhaps making them more random might look better.

Look forward to seeing what comes next.

Korba

Thanks! Been a fun project, even if it's taking me far longer than I'd expected... :D

As for the tree placement , yeah I agree. Now looking at them they do seem to be a bit too "regular. I need them "scattered", but certainly not so equidistant from each other. I think a little bit more size variation would help, as well as creating a few clusters here and there (where appropriate) to mix things up.

That's why I love coming back to stuff a few hours later or whatever. You see it with a more objective eye and can find things that you wouldn't have while actually working on it.

I'll work on the tree arrangement a bit more and post another update. Probably later on this evening.

Thanks!

Lukc

11-09-2011, 07:37 AM

I would make the trees a little bit smaller, maybe, this way they're just so ... big. They seem to dominate the map. Though this may be just a matter of personal taste.

Hm ... what else. Ah, yes. The bases of the trees. They look too sharp and lopped off. If you take a look at actual trees you'll notice that their roots often spread out and may also lift the ground around them a bit. I'd add a few dabs on either side of the bases just to simulate roots and maybe weeds or grasses growing around the edges.

Preypacer

11-09-2011, 11:19 AM

I would make the trees a little bit smaller, maybe, this way they're just so ... big. They seem to dominate the map. Though this may be just a matter of personal taste.

Hm ... what else. Ah, yes. The bases of the trees. They look too sharp and lopped off. If you take a look at actual trees you'll notice that their roots often spread out and may also lift the ground around them a bit. I'd add a few dabs on either side of the bases just to simulate roots and maybe weeds or grasses growing around the edges.

What if I told you they're magical trees.. with rocket boosters... and Cable TV access via their canopies, which are not actually made of leaves, but small metallic sheets acting as antennae?

Yeah you're right.. I'd either be lying, or some some really powerful stuff...

Seriously though... Those trees aren't the "final" versions. They're an iteration closer to what I want than they were, but not quite "there" yet. Aside from having no roots, they're also not quite "sharp" enough. There's more detail in them than you can really see in the map right now, and I'd like them to look a bit more like trees in the final map, than fuzzy brown spheres. I also want to create at least a few variations just to mix it up, so it's not the same exact tree copied over and over.

I think you may be on to something with the size. I've been trying to mix up their spacing and size to give the impression of a forest, but I think they may be a bit too large at that size to look good. I'll experiment with smaller ones and see how it comes out.